Jim Ward

Now, the seminal and now-legendary debut record, lovingly pressed onto vinyl will be made available officially for the first time. Originally released on Dreamworks records in 2002, it is seeing vinyl release from Canadian Indie powerhouse, Dine Alone Records, who have been releasing new music from both Sparta and Jim Ward since 2020.

This marks Sparta’s first tour of 2023 and a follow up to their fall 2022 tour supporting The Get Up Kids. Featuring fan-favorites “Air,” and “Cut Your Ribbon,” Wiretap Scars was released in August 2002. At the time Sparta was Ward, Matt Miller, Paul Hinojos, and Tony Hajjar. The 4 formed Sparta following the break of their former band.

The dates kick off May 4 in Mesa, AZ and conclude in Albuquerque, NM on May 19. The tour stops in Los Angeles on May 7 for a show at the Roxy. The band is taking ‘68 and Thursday’s Geoffrey Rickly on the road with them as support.

Indigo Sparke has collaborated with Sounds of Saving and 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for a new episode of their “Song That Found Me At The Right Time” series which was created to promote honest, intimate conversations about mental health and inspire action for those in need of support.

Sparta, the El Paso band featuring Jim Ward, has today announced they will head off on tour with The Get Up Kids on their 25th Anniversary Four Minute Mile tour. Sparta are the direct support and the dates kick off in Dallas on August 22 with stops in LA, SF, NYC, Boston, Seattle & more. Check out the complete list of tour dates now!

Jim Ward has announced the forthcoming release of Half A World Away (Live In Studio) via Dine Alone Records. The album is out March 17 and is culled from a livestream Jim performed around the release of his 2021 solo album Daggers. Pre-save Half A World Away (Live In Studio) now! Plus, watch the studio version of the album’s “Breaking The Broken.'

Jim Ward has also announced a virtual Daggers live and pre-recorded show this Friday, June 25 at 9PM ET.

Ward calls Daggers his most hopeful record to date. “Reality is OK,” he says. “You can’t change the past, but you can take those lessons and you can do better.. I’ve always considered songwriting as a journey. It can guide me in the way I’m going forward.”

Ward previously shared single “Paper Fish,” which got picked up by, among others Consequence of Sound, Brooklyn Vegan and MXDWN. FLOOD said that the song “presents the album as a polished, more pop-informed take on Ward’s career in post-hardcore.' 

Jim Ward has played in a slew of monumental bands, from the iconic post-hardcore band At The Drive-In to Sparta, as well his alt-country project, Sleepercar.

PYGMALION 2020 will kick off this Thursday, September 24 at 4PM CST and run through Saturday September 26 at midnight. All programming will take place in the virtual space.

PYGMALION 2020 will kick off this Thursday, September 24 at 4PM CST and run through Saturday September 26 at midnight.

Setting themselves apart from other festivals, and being in the unique position to move forward with this year's event, in lieu of streaming live performances, the organizers of PYGMALION has made a major pivot to a diverse set of discussions, interactions, and activations that intends to delight and engage as many people as they possibly can.

Due to the constraints of COVID-19, PYGMALION has moved all programming to the virtual space.

Due to the constraints of COVID-19, PYGMALION has moved all programming to the virtual space.

Sparta, the band featuring Jim Ward, released their long-awaited new album Trust The River via Dine Alone Records in April. Today, Sparta is excited to announce an online album release show to celebrate in the wake up their tour postponement.

Sparta are returning with a new album Trust The River on April 10 and today the El Paso band featuring Jim Ward shares a new single off the LP, “Empty Houses.' Of the track Ward notes, “Our bass player Matt Miller brought in the completed music and lyrical concept for 'Empty Houses' and I fell in love with it - I worked out the final lyrics and vocals pretty quickly in the studio with David Garza bouncing lines back and forth. The idea centers around the void left by the market crash and what became of the houses left vacant. We wanted to capture some of that anxiety and fear that must have surrounded those times and try to imagine how to cope.” Today's video was directed by Kris Pierce and you can watch it below.

Sparta, the El Paso band featuring Jim Ward, has today announced their first full length studio album since 2006's Threes. Trust The River will be released on April 10 via Dine Alone Records - their first for the label. Along with this news, Sparta has also announced spring tour dates and released a video for lead single “Believe.” Of the single Ward notes, “'Believe' is a song that's been on my desk for 10 years, I've recorded numerous versions but couldn't quite get it where I thought it was ready until now. Once we had the basic track I sent it to my friend Carlos Arevalo from Chicano Batman for some guitar touches and was over the moon with his contribution. I couldn't think of a better song from Trust The River to kick this new chapter off.” Watch the video below.

The Phoenix Symphony Board of Directors has selected performing arts industry veteran Suzanne Wilson as the organization's new President and Chief Executive Officer.

It's been nearly seven years since Americana singer/songwriter Chuck Ragan and his camaraderie of like-minded musicians celebrated his much-adored and lauded REVIVAL TOUR which merged the punk, alternative, and folk worlds and borne a jamboree of music and collaboration.  So it is with excitement and anticipation that Chuck Ragan and Revival Tour alums Dan Andriano (Alkaline Trio) and Dave Hause (The Loved Ones) are getting together to put on AN EVENING OF REVIVAL, a one-time “revival” of sorts of the much-missed tour.  Set for Sunday, July 7th at Solana Beach, CA's Belly Up (143 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach, CA 92075), it proves to be one of the must-attend shows of the season, if not year.